A huge, glowing red lava lake appeared as one of the world's most active volcanoes put on a “spectacular” show late on Wednesday.
Kilauea – Hawaii's second-largest volcano – began erupting, following a three-month pause, after a glow was detected in webcam images from its summit early in the morning
The pictures showed an eruption within the Halemaumau crater, the US Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said.
The display took place a safe distance from people and structures in a national park on the Big Island, AP cited park spokeswoman Jessica Ferracane as saying.
“The lava this morning is all confined within … the summit caldera. So, plenty of room for it still to produce more without threatening any homes or infrastructure,” she said. “That’s the way we like our eruptions here.”
She said park officials were preparing for crowds to arrive as visitors could see the eruption from many vantage points.
“Kilauea overlook was spectacular this morning,” she said. “It was molten red lava. There’s several areas of pretty robust fountaining. It’s just really, really pretty.”
Images showed fissures at the base of the crater generating lava flows, the observatory said.
Before issuing the eruption notice, the observatory said increased earthquake activity and changes in the patterns of ground deformation at the summit started on Tuesday night, indicating the movement of magma in the subsurface.
“We’re not seeing any signs of activity out on the rift zones right now,” said Mike Zoeller, a geologist with the observatory.
“There’s no reason to expect this to transition into a rift eruption that would threaten any communities here on the island with lava flows or anything like that.”
All activity was within a closed area of the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
The lava lake, covering the crater floor that lies over lava that remained from previous eruptions, measured about 150 hectares in area at about 6am, Mr Zoeller said. It measured about 1,300 metres wide.
Word was getting out and parking lots were starting to fill up at the park, Ms Ferracane said, adding that she expected long queues of people hoping to get into the park by the evening.
She reminded visitors to avoid gases emitted by the eruption, as well as stay out of restricted areas and remain on marked trails for safety reasons.
Residents of Pahala, 30km downwind of Kilauea's summit, reported a very light dusting of gritty fine ash and “Pele's hair” – glass particles that form when lava erupts from a fissure and rapidly cools – named after the Hawaiian deity of volcanoes, the observatory said.
Two small earthquakes jolted Janice Wei awake. As a volunteer photographer for the park who lives in a nearby town, she was able to see fountains she estimated to be 46 metres high at about 4.30am.
She said she saw about 15 fountains, which were dying down by mid-morning.
Fountain heights decreased to a height of four to nine metres in the afternoon, according to the observatory.
The red bursts could be seen on the USGS live-stream Wednesday afternoon.
The volcano’s alert level was raised to warning status and the aviation colour code went to red as scientists evaluated the eruption and associated hazards.
Kilauea erupted from September 2021 until last December. For about two weeks in December, Hawaii’s biggest volcano, Mauna Loa, also was erupting on Hawaii’s Big Island.
After a short pause, Kilauea began erupting again in January. That eruption lasted for 61 days, ending in March.
This eruption is looking very similar, Mr Zoeller said, and “following a very similar playbook to the last three that we’ve seen here since 2020”.
A 2018 Kilauea eruption destroyed more than 700 homes.
Before that eruption, Kilauea had been erupting since 1983, and streams of lava occasionally covered farms and homes.
During that time, the lava sometimes reached the ocean, causing dramatic interactions with the water.
RESULTS
West Asia Premiership
Thursday
Jebel Ali Dragons 13-34 Dubai Exiles
Friday
Dubai Knights Eagles 16-27 Dubai Tigers
Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
Summer special
SUZUME
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
The Baghdad Clock
Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.